Dr. Kathleen Gabriel is a native Chicoan and graduate of Chico State. She is currently an Associates Professor at the university and has authored various books and articles on underrepresented students.
Gabriel carries a passion for history, her new book, Chico History: 1905-1971 Featuring the Bartlett Drug Company is her second publication on Chico history. The book primarily focuses on the 20th century, a small pharmacy business, and the growth and development of downtown Chico.
Dr. Gabriel began her extensive teaching career as a high school social science teacher before she became a Resource Specialist teacher for students with learning disabilities. When moving to the university setting, she first developed an academic support program for at-risk and unprepared college students. She also became a faculty development specialist at the University of Arizona. She then served as the director of Disabled Student Services (DSS) at College of Siskiyous, a community college in Northern California before joining the School of Education at CSU, Chico.
Since coming to Chico State, Dr. Gabriel has received of two teaching awards: Learning Catalyst Fellow Award, 2014-2015, (awarded to instructional faculty who “catalyze”—stimulate, promote, motivate, encourage—student learning and are willing to talk about how they do it) and, Exemplary Online Instruction Award, 2014 (An awards and recognition program to recognize exemplary teaching and learning in blended and online courses). Her publications include the following: “Implementation of a Writing Strategy for Students With Learning Disabilities in a Rural Setting” (2015) in Rural Special Education Quarterly; a chapter in Handbook of the Sociology of Higher Education, Cote, J. & Furlong, A, eds. (2016), chapter 16, “At-Risk and Unprepared Students in Higher Education: The Impact on Institutions and Strategies to Address the New Student Body Landscape” and three books:
1) Starting Behind...Finishing Ahead: A Blueprint for Academic Support for At-Risk College Students. (2005),
2) Teaching Unprepared Students: Strategies for Success and Retention in Higher Education. (2008), and
3) Creating the Path to Success in the Classroom: Teaching to Close the Graduation Gap for Minority, First-Generation and Academically Unprepared Students (2018).
